Peters co



(No Model.) 4 SheetsSheet 1. G. L. ROBY.

OULTIVATOR. No. 587,066. Patented July 27,1897,

4 Sheets-Sheet 2. G. L. ROBY. GULTIVATOR (NovMod-el.)

No. 587,066. Patented July 27, 1897.

I LZ LR= WSEIM 6V Mam 4 Sheets-Sheet 3. G. L. ROBY.

GULTIVATOR (No Model.)

Patented July 27,1897.

WI EESEE- 4 Si 1eetsSheet 4; G. L. ROBY.

CULTIVATOR (No Model.)

Patented July 27, 1897.

I UNITED STATES PATENT since.

GEORGE L. ROBY, OF ALBION, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR TO THE GALE MANU- FACTURING COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

CU LTWATOR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N 0. 587,066, dated July 27, 1897. Application filed March 8, 1897. Serial No. 626,484. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern: shovels or plows of any desired form secured Be it known that I, GEORGE L. ROBY, a citito the frame in any desired or usual manner. zen of the United States, residing at Albion, The axle is provided centrally with a pair in the county of Calhoun and State of Michiof vertically-disposed crank-arms D D, which gan, have invented certain new and useful are adjustably secured thereto. In this in- Improvements in Cultivators; and I do herestance the said crank-arms are each provided by declare the following to be a full, clear, with a collar d, surrounding the axle and seand exact description of the invention, such cured thereto by means of a set-screw d. 'as will enable others skilled in the art to The upper end of each crank-arm D is also IO which it appertains to make and use the same. provided with an aperture (Z My invention is an improvement in culti- E represents a vertically-disposedguide- Vators; and it consists in the novel features rod having at its lower end ahorizontal sleeve hereinafter described, reference being had to c, which is connected with the arms D D by the accompanying drawings, which illustrate means of links e e. Each of these links is I 5 one form in which I have contemplated emprovided at its upper end with a pin or stud bodying my invention, said invention being 6 preferably formed integrally therewith, fully disclosed in the following description which engages the aperture d of one of the and claims. arms D, and at its lower end the link is pro- Referring to the said drawings, Figure l vided with an aperture e A bolt is passed 20 represents a top plan view of a cultivator emthrough the apertures e of said links and bodying my invention. Fig. 2 represents a through the sleeve e to secure these parts tovertical longitudinal section of the same, gether, and this construction forms a stirrup showing the cultivator-shovels in raised po connecting the rod E and arms D D. sition. Fig. 2 is a detail View of a portion At the upper endof the rod E is afulcrum- 25 of the device as shown in Fig. 2, the cultivaplate F, which has at each end an upturned tor-shovels being in their lowered or working flange or projection f, adapted to engage a position. Fig. 3 is a rear view of the cultirecessed seat f, formed in or secured to the vator. Fig. 4 is a detail sectional view of a under side of the seat-bar G of the machine, portion of the mechanism. Fig. 5 is a detail which extends rearwardly from and is con- 30 view showing a slightly-modified construcnected with the tongue H. The seats f f tion. Fig. 6 is a detail of another slight modiare at the same distance apart as the profication of myinvention. Fig. 7isasideview jections or flanges f f of the plate F. The

' of the device shown in Fig. 6, two springs beplate F is provided centrally with a sleeve f ing employed, however, instead of one. which has a sliding engagement with the rod 3 5 The object of my invention is to provide a E, and a strong spiral spring F surrounds simple and efficient construction which can the said sleeve and rod between the plate F be adjusted so as to exert a pressure upon and the horizontal sleeve 6. The sleeve 6 is the cultivator plows or shovels when in workalso provided with one or more cars e on its ing position and which can be so adjusted as front side, to which is attached a link '5, ex-

40 to raise'the said plows or shovels and hold tendingrearwardlyfromahand-leverLwhich 9o them in elevated position when the machine is pivoted to the tongue H or other part of is moved from place to place or is not in use. the frame and provided with the usual pawl,-

In the drawings, A represents the axle, and and-ratchet retaining mechanism. 13 B the supporting-wheels. The frame C of When the parts are in the position shown 45 the cultivator may be formed in any desired in Fig. 2, the stirrup being forward of the 5 Way and is rigidly connected with the axle, arms D D and the forward flange f of the in this instance by means of collars c a, sefulcrum-plate resting in its seat, the pressure cured to or forming a part of the frame enof the spring F will be exerted upon the circling the axle A and provided with setarms D D, so as to elevate the cultivator 5o screws 0 c. The said frame is provided with frame and shovels and hold them in raised I00 position. \Vhen it is desired to lower the shovels into working position, the operator moves the hand-lever I, so as to throw the stirrup rearwardly of the arms D D. This will cause the said arms to move rearwardly with the stirrups for a certain distance, and as the lower end of the rod E moves rearwardly the rear end of the fulcrum-plate will be raised until the rear flange f enters its seat f, when the forward flange will leave its seat with the further movement of the stirrup, thus bringing the parts into the position shown in Fig. 2 and causing the spring F to exert a rearward pressure 011 the arms D D tending to hold the shovels in the ground. To raise the shovels, the hand-lever is moved so as to draw the stirrup forward, when the parts will be brought into the position shown in Fig. 2.

It is to be noted that by 1no\ingtl1e stirrup into alinemcnt with the axle and the center of the fulcrum-plate the parts will be brought to a state of rest, the spring at such time exerting its power only to maintain existing conditions. It will also be seen that as the stirrup is swung either forward or backward the resulting effect of the movement of the f ulcrum plate is to compress the spring and cause it to exert more force than when in the middle position. This partly results from the fulcrum-plate and partly because the lower end of rod E is lowest when the stirrup is in the middle position and that the act of moving the stirrup causes the lower part of the same to swing upwardly.

In connecting the draft mechanism of the cultivator (comprising the tongue and the drivers seat supported thereby) to the cultivator-frame I prefer to employ the bars h h, rigidly secured to the tongue and pivotally connected to a portion of the cultivator-frame extending forward of the axle, so that the weight of the driver and of the draft mechanism will tend to assist the spring F in elevating the cultivator frame and shovels. In Figs. 1 to l, inclusive, the arms of the cultivator-frame, which are connected with the axle A, are provided with forwardly-extending ears 0, which extend forward of the axle A when the cultit'ator-frame is in operative position, and to these ears 0 c the bars h h of the draft mechanism are pivotally connected, as shown at h h. It will thus be seen that when the hand-lever is moved so as to raise the cultivator-frame the weight of the tongue, seat, and of the driver will bear down upon the ears 0 c and thus tend to counterbalance the weight of the cultivator-frame, (see Fig. 2%) thereby assisting the spring F to raise the said frame and the shovels.

I do not desire to be limited to my exact constructions, as the details may be changed without departing from the principle of iny invention. For instance, by slight changes a single crank-arm D might be employed and the stirrup cut in two, or the cultivator-frame might be pivoted upon the axle and the axle rigidly connected with the tongue and stationary parts, but in each of these -cases the principle of operation would be the same.

In Fig. 5 I have shown a slight modification of my invention, in which the frame-bars K K of the cultivator-frame are pivoted directly on the axle A and provided each with an arm 70, secured to the bar or formed integrally therewith, to which the stirrup is attached, the other parts being the same as in the form previously described.

In some cases I may employ only a sin le arm secured to the axle, as shown at L, 1 ig. (3, and connect it by a stirrup or link L with the guide-rod M, which the spring surrounds, the other parts being the same as heretofore described. I might also employ two springs instead of one, and in Fig. 7 I have illustrated such a construction. Two guide-rods N N are provided, secured at their lower ends to a casting, which is connected by either the single or double stirrup with the operating arm or arms of the cultivator-frame. The fulcrum-plate O is provided with two sleeves 0 0 engaging said rods, and springs I 1 surround said rods and levers. The operation of the devices shown in Figs. 1, 6, and 7 is the same as that described with reference to the preceding figures.

lVhat I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a wheel-cultivator the combination with a tooth-frame having a movement about a horizontal axis, of a crank connected with said frame, a stirrup pivoted to said crank, a spring entering between said stirrup and a stationary part of the cultivator, and means for swinging the stirrup to either side of the plane of the said crank, substantially as described.

2. In a wheel-cultivator the combination with a tooth-frame having a movement about a horizontal axis,of two crank-arms connected with said frame, a stirrup pivoted to said erank-arms, a compression-spring extending between the said stirrup and a fulcrum-plate bearing against a stationary part of the cultivator, and means for swinging said stirrup and fulcru m -plate,snbstantially as described.

3. 111 a wheel-cultivator, the combination with a tooth-frame having a movement about a horizontal axis, of a compression-spring extending between the said frame and a fulcrum-plate having two bearings upon a stationary part of the cultivator, and means for swinging the frame end of the spring to either side of the frame axis, whereby the fulcrumplate is swung from first one to the other of its bearings, substantially as described.

4. In a wheel-cultivator the combination with the tooth-frame and a draft-frame having a pivoted connection, of crank-arms rigidly connected with the tooth-frame,a stirrup pivoted to said crank-arms, a compressionspring extending from said stirrup to the draft-frame and means for swinging the said stirrup, substantially as described.

5. In a wheel-cultivator, the combination with a draft-frame pivoted to the axle, of a tooth-frame rigidly connected with the axle, a pair of crank-arms on said axle, a stirrup pivoted to said crank-arms, a compressionspring extending between the stirrup and the draft-frame, and means for swinging the stirrup, substantially as described.

6. In a wheel-cultivator the combination with a draft-frame pivoted to the axle, of a tooth-frame rigidly connected. to the axle, orank-arms extending upwardly from the axle, a stirrup pivoted to the crank-arms, a compression-spring extending from the stirrup to a portion of the draft-frame above the axle, and means for swinging the stirrup forward and back of theaxis of movement, sub stantially' as described.

7. The combination with a draft-frame and a cultivator-frame having a pivotal connection between them, of the spring interposed between the two frames consisting of the rod having a bearing for one end of a spring, a spring and the fulcrum-plate sliding on the said rod and engaging the opposite end of the spring, substantially as described.

8. The combination with the cultivatorframe, having a vertical movement on a horizontal axis, of the draft-frame pivoted to said cultivator-frame forward of its axis,whereby the weight of the draft-frame tends to counterbalance the cultivator-frame, and means for elevating and depressing said cultivatorframe, substantially as described.

9. The combination with the cultivatorframe having a vertical movement on a horizontal axis, of the draft-frame pivoted to said cultivator-frame forward of its axis, a crank connected with said frame, a stirrup pivoted to said crank, a spring interposed between said stirrup and a stationary part of the cultivator and means for swinging the stirrup to either side of the plane of the crank, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

GEORGE L. ROBY.

Wi tnesses G. W. BORTLES, EARLE KNIGHT. 

